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(3) Number of applications met—
(a) Maternity 351
(b) Sickness 935
(c) Sick Room Helpers 10
(4) Number of cases attended during year 2,068
(5) Average duration of services given—
(a) Maternity 12 days
(b) Sickness (acute cases) 10—21 days
(6) Amount recovered for services £4,475
(7) Rate of remuneration of "Helps" at 31.12.53 was 2s. 71/8d.
per hour.
Owing to the added complication of abnormal staff sickness,
heavy demands during the early part of the year could be met
only by the abrupt cessation of services to elderly persons not
acutely ill. These difficulties also stressed a basic insufficiency of
supervisory staff, which is now being corrected; and a repetition
of this breakdown should not recur.
HEALTH PROPAGANDA
No new measures were introduced during the year under
review. It is still considered that the most effective general advice
is that given to the mothers of families, and it is the doctors, health
visitors and home nurses who have the best and constant opportunities
for such instruction. The essential need to co-ordinate
the education of the local health authority with the medical care
given during illness was assisted by initial steps to bring together
the family doctor and the health visitor. It is hoped that these
preliminary moves may have successful results in the near future.
Poster sites continued to show the Central Council for Health
Education posters.
The prevention of home accidents was stressed at all Infant
Welfare Clinics and some 1,750 copies of "Better Health" were
distributed each montih. Mothercraft lectures, talks to various
local organisations and offers of special talks on cancer continued
throughout the year.